After the 1st Hong Kong Welding Professional Skills Competition held successfully last year, Hong Kong Welding Industry Employees Association and Hong Kong Construction Industry Council jointly held the 2017 2nd Hong Kong Welding Professional Skills Competition. The Opening Ceremony was held at the Aberdeen Process Testing Center of Hong Kong Construction Industry Council on December 3rd, 2017. Deputy secretary of Development Bureau (works) Ms. Lin Jinping (JP), Electrical and Mechanical Services Department director general Mr. Xue Yongheng (JP), Legislative Council member Ms. Mai Meijuan (BBS, JP), President of Welding Industry Employees Association Mr. Cai Yibiao, Director of Training & Development of Construction Industry Council Engineer Liang Weixiong attended the Opening Ceremony. Dr. Liu Zhenying was also invited to attend the Opening Ceremony and deliver a speech.

The president of Welding Industry Employees Association delivered a welcome speech and expressed our hopes of getting more social concern through this competition, prompting government and related training institutions to provide diversity training, including skills upgrading courses and high voltage welder training courses, so as to make the welders to be more skilled.

Following the direction of national policy, Belt and Road program involves a number of infrastructure and railway construction in the future, which also provides many opportunities for Hong Kong industries. International Alliance of Skills Development (IASDBR) president Dr. Liu Zhenying said at the Opening Ceremony: “Through the efforts of all colleagues, the Hong Kong Welding Professional Skills Competition has built a platform for competitors to exchange skills, to promote better understanding and enhance cooperation in the industry.” Dr. Liu Zhenying hopes that Hong Kong could hold Skills Competition with IASDBR jointly in the future. IASDBR is an international communication platform for technical exchanges, talent flow, standards coordination, skills training and certification in different Countries around the world. It aims to promote the development of education, skills, training, certification, and occupational skills standards in different Countries around the world, to integrate skills development resources such as education, capital, projects, manpower, information, services in different countries, to cultivate international highly technical and skilled professionals, and to promote infrastructure construction and global industrialization development process in different Countries.

International Alliance of Skills Development (IASDBR) President Dr. Liu Zhenying Delivered a Speech at the Opening Ceremony

The competition also received strong support from Hong Kong Government. Deputy Secretary of Development Bureau (works) Ms. Lin Jinping (JP) drew out the designated welding positions for the competition at the Opening Ceremony. Electrical and Mechanical Services Department Director General Mr. Xue Yongheng (JP) delivered a speech, and he believes that Hong Kong still has a lot of building and construction projects in the future, including the airport Three Runways and the Central Kowloon Route and so on. Moreover, old system needs to be repaired and updated. It is believed that the demand for excellent welding professionals is still very high and the future of this industry is bright.

The Director of Training & Development of Hong Kong Construction Industry Council Mr. Liang Weixiong pointed out that outsiders may misunderstand that welding is just a matter of combining two pieces of work without distinction, but in fact it is a kind of delicate craft. Therefore, the competition provides an opportunity for the public to understand this kind of skill and provides an excellent example of welding technicians for the industry as well.

The competition was held at the Aberdeen Process Testing Center of Hong Kong Construction Industry Council from Dec. 3rd to Dec. 9th. It attracted more than 40 competitors to compete for the awards. According to industry technical requirements, the competition is based on the International Welding Standard to assess the competitors’ abilities on operation and practical problems solving. More than 20 industry stakeholders support the competition and hope to communicate with each other, so as to enhance the technical level and professional image through the competition, then attract more young people.

Site Supervisor of 2017 2nd Hong Kong Welding Professional Skills Competition Introduced the Competition area of Shielded Metal Arc Welding (SMAW) to a Host of Officiating Guests

Competitors Concentrated on the Competition with sparks flying (First Day of the Competition Started on December 3rd)

The 2nd BRICS Skills Development & Technology Innovation Competition will be co-hosted in South Africa in August, 2018 by BRICS Business Council SDWGs, International Alliance of Skills Development (IASDBR) and Organizing Committee of BRICS Skills Development & Technology Innovation Competition. The competition will be held in three divisions: Main Division in South Africa, Sub-Division in China and Sub-Division in Russia. The 2018 Belt & Road and BRICS Skills Development & Technology Innovation Competition will be held in China, including China Selective Competition and China Division Competition. The competition focuses on advanced manufacturing and intelligent manufacturing. The main competition projects include Digital Skills such as Cyber Security, Internet of Things, Data Analytics, and Fiber Optics Line Installation and Service; Manufacturing and Engineering such as Polymechanics & Automation, Industrial Control, CNC Turning and CNC Milling, Composite Technologies, Industrial Robotics, Welding, Sheet Metal Technology, CNC Multi-Axis Machining, 3D, Machinary & Electricity and Intelligent Manufacturing; and Transportation such as Aircraft Maintenance, Industrial Assembling of Aircraft Items, etc.

Beijing ARC Xinxing Science & Technology Co., Ltd. is a leading enterprise in Chinese hard-facing industry, national high-tech enterprise, and Zhongguancun innovative enterprise. The business of Beijing ARC Company covers overlaying and remanufacturing of wear parts, additive manufacturing, wear-resistant welding wire, automatic overlaying equipment, automatic welding equipment, digital welding machine manufacturing, and robot system integration, etc. Beijing ARC Company occupies an international advanced position in the fields of wear-resistant materials, digital welding machine, overlaying equipment and hardfacing overlaying service. Since 2008, as the originator and organizer, Beijing ARC Company organized a series of "Arc Cup" international welding competition and exchange activities, which has been the important event and exchange activity among international welding field. As the opening event of 2017 BRICS Skills Development & Technology Innovation Competition and one of the important activities of China Section of BRICS Business Council during its presidency of BRICS countries, IIW·CWS·Arc Cup 2017 International Welding Competition got full support from the International Institute of Welding and won the recognition of the international welding industry. International Alliance of Skills Development (IASDBR) is one of the major achievements of the BRICS Business Council during China presidency of the BRICS countries which were formally announced to be set up on June 24th, 2017 in Shanghai.

Song of BRICS Skills Development Navigator

China has officially taken over the BRICS rotating presidency from Jan. 1st 2017. As one of the activities to promote politics, economics, humanities among BRICS countries, the 1st BRICS Skills Development & Technology Innovation Competition closed at Shanghai Institute of Technology on August 31st before the ninth meeting of BRICS leaders in Xiamen.

BRICS Skills Development & Technology Innovation Competition is one of the important achievements during the period of China serving as rotating presidency of BRICS Countries in 2017. The success of the competition has left a profound Chinese impression on BRICS mechanism and it also will be a long-term mechanism for BRICS cooperation.

The five independent events of the BRICS competition were held in Kunming, Nanning, Hangzhou, Shanghai respectively and the BRICS competition was strongly supported and extensively participated by the Chinese government and BRICS countries. Russia, India, South Africa participated in the competition events, selected and dispatched experts to participate in related activities. Belt &Road countries including Kazakhstan, Slovakia, Mongolia, Ukraine and Vietnam also responded to the invitation warmly and participated in the competition actively.

IIW·CWS·Arc Cup 2017 International Welding Competition

IIW·CWS·Arc Cup 2017 International Welding Competition was the opening event of BRICS Skills Development & Technology Innovation Competitionand was held in Shanghai from June 24th to 30th. A total of 73teams of more than 300 welding technicians and masters from Russia, India, China, South Africa, Kazakhstan, Slovakia, Mongolia, Ukraine, Vietnam, Cameroon, Nigeria and Spaintook part in this competition. All BRICS countries except Brazilparticipatedin the competition. The number of participants was as follows: China 253, Russia 50, India 5, South Africa 4. Nearly 1000 people from all walks of life attended the Opening and Closing Ceremony as well as various competition events. Great attention has been given to the competition by domestic and foreign media, and China central television(CCTV) and Russia Central Television reported the event.

This International Welding Competition consisted of the First International Welding Technology Competition, the Fourth International Robot Welding Competition and the Fifth International Welding Skills Competition. Team Gold Prizes of enterprises were awarded for CRRC Group, Russia NAKS team and CEEC Group. In the BRICS countries, Russia won 4 first place, 1 second place, 1 third place in the individual prizes and 4 third grade prize. India competitor won a second place in the individual prizes. South Africa competitor won a first place in the individual prizes and other Prizes for China and corresponding participating teams.

The competition was once again awarded the “World Cup for Welding” with high level, participation, deep impact and IIW has praised its contribution to the progress of the world welding technology.

BRICS Maker Competition

45 teams of more than 400 people participated in the series activities of BRICS Maker Competition in Kunming from August18th to 20th. More than 200 youth markers from China, Russia, India, etc. started a collision of creative thinking and make friends across the country in the two days of “Spring City Appointment”.

Minister of Competition for the WorldSkills Russia Alliance, Atem Nikolaev delivered a speech on behalf of all teachers and competitors of BRICS at the opening ceremony. He guided 4 Russian competitors to complete the competition projects and he attracted a lot of attention and applause during explanation.

With the recommendations from a number of marker organizations and universities in China, the makers have brought 42 outstanding works of various characteristics for the finalcompetition. They set their sights on Grand Global Challenge, Co-faced unique problems and development opportunity by BRICS countries, combining with innovative ideas and advanced technologies,to create a number of creative, innovative, technical leading products with social significance and industrial value.

The competition creatively adopted the form of combining the project exhibition and the on-site maker marathon, highlighting the real value of the project and the project realization of the product. It also tested the maker team’s ability to respond to assessment expert advice on site and put forward improvement program. The competition invited 32 experts from colleges and universities, science and technology industry, cultural creativity industry as review committee members, and emphasize the comprehensive investigation towards the project in social value, creativity, function realization, industrial design and so on.

In combination with Data Mining and Modeling, China Unicom Research Institute has set up sub-event test to guide young makers to focus on the combination of new technologies and industrial applications in the digital age. The Institute of Cultural and Creative Development of Tsinghua University has given a special award of culture and creative industry for products around humanistic philosophy and creative industry.

The Blind Smart Helmet Project of Kunming University of Science and Technology, Smart Skate Project of Fab Lab, St.Petersburg, Pattern Recognition Smart Mirror of Guangdong University of Technology, King Kong Poet of Zhejiang University and Smart Living Steward of Northwestern Polytechnical University, etc. won the special cultural and creative award.

Machinery & Electricity Skills Competition

Machinery & Electricity Skills Competition was held in Nanning on August 20th to 22nd. 288 competitors of 74 delegations of 55vocational colleges from the whole country performed their unique skills and started intense competition on the project of “Complex Components CNC Multi-axis Machining Technology” and “Installation and Commissioning of Automatic Production Line”.Totally more than 450 competitors participated in serious activities of Machinery & Electricity Skills Competition.

Mechatronics, the basis of industrial automation, is the main trend of mechanical industry technology and product development and also an inevitable requirement of the development of social productivity. In recent ten years, China has not only explored a large number of skilled professionals through the skills competition, but also promoted the rapid development of the vocational education and skills teaching, which has played a role of learning to promote skills by competition.

South Africa dispatched a Focus Group consisting of 15representatives to learn organization experience from China. Two representatives from WorldSkills Russia visited the competition. Three officers from merSETA attended the Closing Ceremony, and they discussed with Chinese engineers and experts about the current situation of electro-mechanical skills development, prospect and competition organization.

Machinery & Electricity Skills Competition was held by Guangxi Technological College of Machinery and Electricity. The competition left a footprint in Guangxi and it also provides a platform for Guangxi to expand professional skills on education resources and attract professionals fully.

3D Printing and Intelligent Manufacturing Competition

3D printing and intelligent manufacturing Competition was held in Hangzhou, China from August 22nd to 26th. Over 300 technical professionals of 68 domestic colleges and universities from South Africa and Russia participated in the competition and more than 500 people participated in a series of competition activities.

Among the competitors, 6% of them are from the universities, 82% from the higher vocational colleges and 12% from the technician institutes. There was a fierce competition among 15 lecturers from different South African vocational colleges and 2 delegations from the WorldSkills Russia and many Chinese competitors. 5 officers from the merSETA watched the competition, and they thought that these competitions and the exchange and cooperation of the technical skills among the BRICS competitors would make the teachers of South Africa experience and learn new knowledge and skills, and it becomes one of the ways to promote the skills development in South Africa. By learning experience from China's skills competitions, they hope the BRICS can work together for common cooperation and progress.

This competition is composed of two projects. 30 teams participated in the 3D Printing Modeling Competition and 51 teams participated in the competition of the Operation and Maintenance of the Intelligent Manufacturing Production Line. Through practical operation and technical defense, fierce competition started. 8 indicators of international professional competence were brought in during the technical defense process to test the competitors’ comprehensive abilities of basic theory applicationto determine and analyze the professional technology and solve practical problems.

The competition covered key technologies in digitalization, networking and intelligence, fully demonstrating the development achievements of intelligent manufacturing technology and industry, leading the direction of cultivation of intelligent manufacturing professionals in short supply and the transformation and upgrading of professional institutions, promoting the transformation of competition achievements and the industry-college-institute international cooperation and promoting the application and promotion of 3D printing and intelligent manufacturing technologies among the BRICS countries and Belt & Road areas.

Intelligent Manufacturing Challenge Competition

The Intelligent Manufacturing Challenge Competition, held in Shanghai on August 26th-30th, was the final event of the BRICS competition. More than 1,500 people participated in the Closing Ceremony of the BRICS Competition. More than 2,000 teachers and students from nearly 133 colleges and universities in China and nearly 400 participating teams advanced to this national finals after fierce competition.

11 Lecturers and 2 officers assigned by the merSETA, 1 delegation of WorldSkills Russia visited the competition venues, learned the competition rules and participated in some competition activities.

There were 8 official projects of the intelligent manufacturing finals, including continuous process design and development, continuous process application implementation, logic control design and development, logic control application implementation, motion system design and development, industrial information design and development, intelligent innovation research and development, industrial hardware research and development, and 1 trial running competition called industrial software research and development. This competition provided a practical platform to cultivate high-quality science and engineering professionals, testing the application ability of comprehensive knowledge of competitors. Based on this platform, young professionals can exchange knowledge, display skills and make progress together.

International Seminar on Skills Development and Technology Innovation

On the occasion of the BRICS competition, the Organizing Committee organized two "International Seminar on Skills Development and Technology Innovation" in Hangzhou and Shanghai respectively on August 24th and 29th. Professor Zha Jianzhong, presenter of UNESCO Chair on Cooperation Between Higher Engineering Education and Industries, delivered a report "Strategies for Training Professionals for the Future Workplace"; Mr. Middledorf, Former President of German Welding Society (DVS)/Consultant of German CONVERSIO Company, introduced the report of “China Industry 4.0 for Smart Enterprise and Digital Economy” and conducted in-depth exchanges on the issue of intelligent manufacturing between China and Germany with experts from various institutions and enterprises. Ms. HESTER, Minister of the merSETA, introduced and analyzed the status quo of skills development and training in South Africa and approved of the skills development in China. By learning from China's experience, she hoped that someday some skills activities could be organized in South Africa.

Domestic and foreign experts, representatives of WorldSkills Russia, officers from the merSETA, the Observation Mission of South African Vocational School, Hangzhou Vocational & Technical College and Shanghai Institute of Technology attended the two Seminars. Across the language barrier, people fully exchanged and interacted with each other. The seminars won the praise of the participants.

The significance and future of the BRICS Competition

In recent years, the BRICS countries have continuously optimized their own industries and become a major economic driver for the new round of world economic development. In this context, it is of particular significance for BRICS countries holding skills development and technology innovation competition.

First of all, the outcome of the competition has been fully affirmed by the top. During the meeting of BRICS leaders in Xiamen on September 4th, President Xi Jinping pointed out that the work of the Business Council and New Development Bank had achieved important results. He said: "The Business Council has done a great job in areas of e-commerce and skills development and has achieved good achievements."

Dr. Liu Zhenying reporting the SDWG work during the meeting of the BRICS Business Council in Shanghai (Left)

Secondly, the competition focuses on the skills development and technology innovation. It is a high-level skills competition with a wide range, strict requirement and high standard. Dr. Liu Zhenying, Chairman of BRICS Business Council SDWG and Chairman of Executive Committee of BRICS Competition said, under the background of BRICS and the "Belt &Road" initiative, the competition has taken place, taken root in China and opened up to the world. The competition aimed to promote the cooperation of engineering professionals cultivation, scientific research, cultural exchanges as well as the Industry-University Collaboration along Belt & Road countries and regions.

Thirdly, the competition ran its own characteristics, for example, it’s the first time to integrate the elements of internationalization, especially the BRICS elements into the industry vocational education competition; it’s the first time to show the trend of coordinated development of the pattern of intelligent manufacturing development and education by the competition; it’s the first time to create a new model of production and education’s collaborative development, innovation and optimization in the field of high-end technologies.

Finally, the competition becomes the cornerstone of the BRICS and global skills development in the future. On September 1st, the 2017 Annual Meeting of BRICS Business Council in Shanghai, South Africa was identified as the BRICS Chair in 2018 and it will organize the next BRICS Skills Development and Technology Innovation. During the meeting, Russia decided to Organize BRICS plus competition in 2020. These are all based on this successful BRICS competition organized by China.

The future of the BRICS competition must be open and flexible with fixed BRICS competition projects. At present, China is planning to cooperate with China Unicom Group to jointly establish a big data network platform. Based on this platform, BRICS competitors can participate in the competition via the Internet remotely so that the competition costs are reduced greatly and more competitors from other countries will be attracted.

International Alliance of Skills Development (IASDBR) Officially Set Sail

On June 24th, 2017, nearly 1000 people witnessed the signing ceremony of International Alliance of Skills Development (IASDBR) on the opening ceremony of Shanghai Skills Development & Technology Innovation Competition, including representatives from four BRICS countries (China, Russia, India and South Africa), and eight other countries (Kazakhstan, Slovakia, Mongolia, Ukraine, Vietnam, Cameroon, Nigeria and Spain), as well as professionals and talents from all walks of life. More than 20 media units reported the competition, such as China Central Television, China News Agency and Russian Central Television, etc.

Mr. Xu Chao, General Secretary of China Section of BRICS Business Council and General Manager of China COSCO Shipping Group, presided over the signing ceremony. 27 organizations and enterprises became the first members of IASDBR, including organizations from Russia, India, South Africa, Singapore, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Mongolia and Hong Kong, Beijing ARC Xinxing Science and Technology Co., Ltd., CRRC Qingdao Sifang Co., Ltd., Aviation Industry Corporation of China, CNPC International Welding Training Centre, School of Naval Architecture, Ocean&Civil Engineering of Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai TAYOR Heavy Industry (Group) Co., Ltd. and Guangxi Technological College of Machinery Electricity. Subsequently more organizations and enterprises expressed their willing to catch the bus of IASDBR such as Shanghai Zhenhua Heavy Industries Co., Ltd. and Shenhua Group Corporation Ltd, etc.

IASDBR is an international exchange platform for technology exchange, talent flow, standard coordination, skills training and certification. The establishment of IASDBR was highly recognized by the Preparatory Committee of BRICS XIAMEN SUMMIT, as well as an important achievement approved by BRICS Business Council.

Economy in those countries is generally under developing. Low level of vocational skills education facilities fails to meet the strong demand for infrastructure construction. Based on the situation, the Skills Development Working Group(SDWG) of China Section of BRICS Business Council put forward the establishment of skills development international alliance for the first time in August, 2016. After that, other members from Skills Development Working Group of BRICS Business Council, together with related organizations from different countries, communicate with each other repeatedly on the goal, framework and implementation, etc. which has been positively responded by all countries.

According to the work plan approved by the BRICS Business Council, as the head of Skills Development Working Group(SDWG) of China Section of BRICS Business Council, Beijing ARC Xinxing Science and Technology Co., Ltd. (hereafter to be referred as Beijing ARC) is responsible for the alliance implementation. Beijing ARC always has a good foundation for international environmental construction. A series of international exchange activities initiated by Beijing ARC since 2008 were highly supported by Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, State-Owned Assets Supervision and Administration (SASAC), Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security of the People's Republic of China (MOHRSS) and BRICS Business Council; Beijing ARC has a long-term good cooperation basis with International Institute of Welding (IIW), Asian Welding Federation (AWF), European Welding Federation (EWF) and other international organizations & units; The Organizing Committee of Arc Cup International Welding Competition, set up by Beijing ARC in 2010, has 18 member countries including USA, Belarus, Bulgaria, Germany, South Korea, Mongolia, Indonesia, Singapore, Ukraine, Ghana, India, Cameroon, Russia, and Vietnam, etc.

Skills Development & Technology Innovation Competition is an important part of the construction for the international alliance mechanism platform. During the International Welding Skills Competition, as the opening event of Skill Development & Technology Innovation Competition in June 2017, besides China delegation, Russian delegation won the Team Gold Prize, four 1st Prizes, one 2nd Prize and one 3rd Prize for Individual Awards, and four 3rd Prizes, Indian delegation won one 2nd Prize for Individual Awards, and South Africa delegation won one 1st Prize for Individual Awards. Other delegations including Mongolia, Kazakhstan, Nigeria, Cameroon, and Slovakia won corresponding awards respectively as well.

The competition gets great support from Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, State-Owned Assets Supervision and Administration (SASAC), Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security of the People's Republic of China (MOHRSS) and China Section of BRICS Business Council, International Institute of Welding (IIW), Chinese Welding Society (CWS), China Welding Association (CWA), and China Machinery Industry Federation (CMIF). Mr. Gary Marquis, President of IIW, Mr. Doug Luciani, the incoming President of IIW, and Ms. Cécile Mayer, Chief Executive Officer of IIW, attended and delivered speeches in the opening & closing ceremonies respectively. Vice President and Board Directors of IIW including Mr. Ernest Level, Mr. Chris Smallbone, Mr. David Landon, and Mr. Jouko Lassila, Mr. Carl J. Peters, Chairman of Training Committee of IIW, and Mr. Ang Chee Pheng, Secretary General of AWF attended and presented the prizes to competitors during the opening & closing ceremonies, as well as Chairmen from different welding associations & organizations in USA, Finland, India, Vietnam, Nigeria, Cameroon, Kazakhstan, and South Africa, etc.

In the future, IASDBR will carry out various effective work on the basis of existing achievements and cooperation, such as organizing international seminars, skills competitions, network teaching, tours and visits and field study; set up six special working committees related to industry management, training, certification, standards coordination, competitions and talents exchange & flow; establish twenty industrial management task forces for different industries; build mechanism platforms, such as “International Forum of Skills Development” and “Skills Development & Technology Innovation Competition”; set up 60-100 training centers involved in different areas in different countries in order to satisfy the demands of local skill training; realize remote online skills training through big data platform; develop professional skills standards together in order to realize standard harmonization and unification.

With the secretariat located in China, IASDBR is deeply expected to establish the international professionals exchange and cooperation platform for vocational skill development, engineering capability training and intelligent technology innovation, to fully take advantage of Chinese vocational skill education resources, to solve the problem of local employment for national enterprises, to cultivate international high-tech and highly skilled professionals, and to promote infrastructure construction and industrialization process for different countries through our persistent and unremitting efforts.

From November 3rd to November 7th, 2017, WorldSkills Russia Hi-Tech Competition co-organized by Russian YouthFederation of WorldSkills, Regional Government of Sverdlovsk Region, Russian Ministry of Industry and Trade and Strategic Initiative Institute was held in Yekaterinburg, Russia. More than 300 competitors from Russia, China, Germany, South Africa, Switzerland, South Korea, Ukraine, Kazakhstan and other countries participated in 28 competitions including Mechatronics, Welding, CNC Turning, CNC Milling, Mechanical Engineering Design - CAD, IT network system management, installation of aircraft electrical equipment, operation of cable lines, laser technology andoperation of unmanned aerial vehicles, etc.Dr. Liu Zhenying, Chairman of BRICS Business Council SDWG andChairman of Beijing ARC Xinxing Science and Technology Co., Ltd. led the CNPC Team to take part in the competition on behalf of China. After three days of hard work, Zang Lihuan won the first place in the welding competition.

During the same period, Russian High-Tech Forum - Eurasia WorldSkills Industrial Council meeting was held at the Yekaterinburg International Exhibition Center. Mr.Simon Bartley, Chairman of the Organizing Committee of the WorldSkills International Competition attended the meetingand delivered a speech. Dr. Liu Zhenying was invited to attend the meeting and delivered a report on International Alliance of Skills Development (IASDBR). IASDBR is an international communication platform for technical exchanges, talentflow，standards coordination, skills training and certification in different Countries around the world. It aims to promote the development of education, skills, training, certification, and occupational skills standards in different Countries around the world, to integrate skills development resources such as education, capital, projects, manpower, information, services in different countries, to cultivate international highly technical and skilled professionals, and to promote infrastructure construction and global industrialization development process in different Countries. During the meeting, Dr. Liu Zhenying also introduced2018 Skills Development & Technology Innovation Competition for BRICS and Belt&Road Countries and Arc Cup International Welding Competition,as well as displayed relevant videos.

During the competition, Memorandum of Understanding on WorldSkills Developmentwere signed between China Section of BRICS Business Council SDWG and Russia Section of BRICS Business Council SDWG for further deepening the skill development and cooperation between the two sides. The MoU clarifies the scope of cooperation between the two sides includingbutnotlimitedto jointly realizing the harmonization of vocational education standards, to carrying out skill training, to promoting interconnectivity, international cooperation, human capital and skills development cooperation under Belt and Road Initiative, and to jointly launching2018 Eurasian High-Tech Competition.

Beijing ARC Xinxing Science & Technology Co., Ltd. is a leading enterprise in Chinese hard-facing industry, national high-tech enterprise, and Zhongguancun innovative enterprise. The business of Beijing ARC Company covers overlaying and remanufacturing of wear parts, additive manufacturing, wear-resistant welding wire, automatic overlaying equipment, automatic welding equipment, digital welding machine manufacturing, and robot system integration, etc. Beijing ARC Company occupies an international advanced position in the fields of wear-resistant materials, digital welding machine, overlaying equipment and hardfacing overlaying service. Since 2008, as the originator and organizer, Beijing ARC Company organized a series of “Arc Cup” international welding competition and exchange activities, which has been the important event and exchange activity among international welding field. As the opening event of 2017 BRICS Skills Development & Technology Innovation Competition and one of the important activities of China Section of BRICS Business Council during its presidency of BRICS countries, IIW·CWS·Arc Cup 2017 International Welding Competition got full support from the International Institute of Welding and won the recognition of the international welding industry. International Alliance of Skills Development (IASDBR) is one of the major achievements of the BRICS Business Council during China presidency of the BRICS countries which were formally announced to be set up on June 24th, 2017 in Shanghai.

International Alliance of Skills Development for Belt & Road and BRICS Countries was Approved

International Alliance of Skills Development for Belt & Road and BRICS Countries was Approved

—First 2017 Meeting of BRICS Business Council Secretariat was Held in Beijing

The first 2017 meeting of BRICS Business Council Secretariat was held in Beijing Cosco Shipping Building on Feb. 10th, 2017. Shen Dan, Vice Director of Department of International Economic Affairs of Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) of the People's Republic of China attended the meeting. There were representatives from BRICS Business Council Units, BRICS BC Working Group Leader Units and partial Working Group Member Units, such as, Sinopec Corp, Bank of China Limited (BOC), China United Network Communications Corporation Limited (China Unicom), China National Machinery Industry Corporation (SINOMACH), China Railway Group Limited, Beijing ARC Xinxing Science & Technology Co., Ltd., China Paper Association (CPA), China Railway Construction Corporation Limited (CRCC), etc. Dr. Liu Zhenying, Chairman of Beijing ARC Xinxing Science & Technology Co., Ltd. was also invited to attend the meeting.

China has been the rotating President of BRICS countries since Jan. 1st, 2017, and will hold the 9th Regular Meeting for BRICS Leaders in early September, 2017 in Xiamen, Fujian Province. China Section of BRICS Business Council has conducted preparation work with great support of various units, made working scheme in 2017 and got scheme replies from MOFA. This meeting aimed to discuss specific work arrangement in 2017 and division of work for each unit and make communication on relevant matters under the guideline of latest directives by Central Party and MOFA.

At first, Xu Chao, Secretary General, delivered the replies of MOFA for working scheme in 2017. MOFA gave approval of this scheme in principle and presented concrete opinions. International Alliance of Skills Development for Belt & Road and BRICS Countries and Joint Declaration on Unification and Harmony of Standards among BRICS Countries gained approval of Central Leaders. Shen Dan, Vice Director of Department of International Economic Affairs of MOFA, expressed the relevant directives from the superiors and made explanations for the replies of MOFA.

During the meeting, attendees made discussion on specific work arrangement in 2017 and division of work for each unit. Each relevant unit gave many suggestions on work assignment, introduced the work progress related to the unit and proposed plans for next step. Each Council Unit reported the situation of preparation work. Zhang Zheng, Bureau Chief of Sinopec Corp and representative of Energy and Green Economy Working Group, introduced Joint Declaration on Unification and Harmony of Standards, gave considerations on establishment work of BRICS E-commerce platform and presented relevant work progress; Li Chong, General Manager of International Business Department of China Unicom and Deputy Secretary General of the Council, presented the preparation work of Deregulation Working Group and gave suggestions on visa facilitation and digital economy forum; Wang Yuqi, Minister of Business Development Department of SINOMACH and Deputy Secretary General of the Council, introduced the preparation work of Manufacturing Working Group; Senior manager of Finance Department of BOC represented Financial Service Working Group to give brief report on work progress and work plan and to discuss the important issue of cooperation with New Development Bank. Then, Yang Xinping, Vice General Manager of International Business Department of China Railway Group Limited (Leader Unit of Infrastructure Working Group), Dr. Liu Zhenying, Chairman of Beijing ARC Xinxing Science & Technology Co., Ltd. (Leader Unit of Skills Development Working Group), and Wang Huatong, Vice Director of Comprehensive Business Department of CPA (Leader Unit of Agricultural Economy Working Group) also reported relevant work situations respectively.

Dr. Liu Zhenying, Chairman of Beijing ARC Xinxing Science & Technology Co., Ltd., represented that the core issue of Skills Development Working Group work was the international environment construction. This work will be conducted from two aspects, holding BRICS Skills Development and Technology Innovation Competition and building International Alliance of Skills Development for Belt & Road and BRICS Countries. BRICS Skills Development and Technology Innovation Competition is divided into 5 parts: BRICS Maker Competition, China Intelligent Manufacturing Challenge (CIMC), Intelligent Manufacturing and 3D Printing Skills Competition, Worldskills and Machinery & Electricity Skills Competition and IIW•CWS•Arc Cup 2017 International Welding Competition. BRICS Business Council Skills Development Working Groups plan to hold BRICS Skills Development and Technology Innovation Competition from May to August, in 2017 so as to promote BRICS skills development and technology exchanges, implement the spirit of signed MoU about the cooperation of skills development, build the international cooperation platform of skills development and vocational skills standards for Belt & Road and BRICS Countries, solve the problems of international environment construction, such as skills training, certification and standards faced by Chinese enterprises in the process of going out, and provide high-level intuitive learning and exchange opportunities for BRICS highly-skilled professionals by the cultivation way of holding competitions. Besides, International Alliance of Skills Development for Belt & Road and BRICS Countries will be established with founding members of BRICS countries to promote the development of education, skills, training among Belt and Road and BRICS countries effectively by building an international organization and international exchange platform of technical exchanges, standard coordination, skills training and certification among Belt & Road and BRICS countries and by establishing human resources management system for Belt & Road and BRICS countries, which is a kind of infrastructure construction for Chinese enterprises for going-out and also a kind of international environment construction for training certification and standard coordination and unification for Belt and Road countries. Dr. Liu Zhenying hoped relevant units from various industries to participate in the Alliance so as to push forward the Alliance construction.

BRICS Business Council, an international organization, is composed of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa and was established in 2013 in Durban, South Africa. With care and guidance of President Xi Jinping in person, BRICS Business Council is one of the important mechanisms of developing BRICS cooperation. China Section of BRICS Business Council sets up seven industry working groups, namely, Infrastructure Working Group, Energy and Green Economy Working Group, Manufacturing Working Group, and Skills Development Working Group, etc. Beijing ARC Xinxing Science & Technology Co., Ltd. is the leader unit of Skills Development Working Group with the leader of Dr. Liu Zhenying (Chairman of Beijing ARC Company) is responsible for organizing activities for BRICS skills cooperation and development and relevant implementation work. Under the framework of BRICS Business Council, Beijing ARC Company will focus on Belt and Road strategic layout and be committed to build and improve the International environment of Belt and Road Science and Technology Innovation so as to push forward the Skills Development among Belt & Road and BRICS countries and advance the process of global industrialization together, leaving China Marks.